Ami lecoultre-piguet



(No Model.) A. LECOULTRE-PIGUET.

STOP WATCH.

No. 435,699. Patented Sept. 2, 1890.

` UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AHI LECOULTRE-PIGUET, OF BRASSUS, SWTITZERLAND.

STOP-WATC H.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 435,699, dated September 2, 1890. Application filed J une 7, 1889. Serial 110.313,452. (No model.) Patented in Switzerland February 13, 1889, N0- 163| To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AMI LEcoULTEE-PIGUET, watch-maker, of Brassus, in Switzerland, have invented an Improvement in Stop-IVatches, of which the following is a specification.

Letters Patent in Switzerland corresponding with the present invention were granted February 13, 1889, No. 108, upon application filed December 1, 1888.

My present invention is designed as an im provement upon the device set forth in Letters Patent granted to me in England, No. 13,625, October 25, 1888, and in the United States January Ll, 1887, No. 355,408.

The object of my present Vinvention is to connect the split-second hand and its trainoperating mechanism with the second-hand or with the second-hand and minute-hand in order that the said hands may move in unison with the split-second hand. These hands and their connecting-gears are all started simultaneously by the first movement of a pushpin and are stopped by a brake-lever that is brought in contact with the surface of one of said gears, said brake-lever being operated by the second movement of a push-pin, and alever and heart-cam are employed for returning the second and minute hands simultaneously to their normal or Zero position, and they are operated by the third movement of a push-pin simultaneously with the disen gagement of the split-second mechanism.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows a portion of the watch-plate in a magnified size. Fig. 2 is a sectionthrough the plates and elevation of the wheels and pinions at the line as @c of Fig. A1. Fig. 3 is a separate view of the starting mechanism; and Figli is a section at the line y y of the plates, the wheels and pinions being in elevation.

A mainspring and train of gearing is made use ot' of any ordinary character, and this is made to drive the escapement-wheel E and give motion by any desired escapement to the balance-wheel, which is not shown in the drawings. Hence this escapementwheel E, the ratchet-wheel E2, and the driving-pinion E (shown by dotted lines in Fig. l) are constantly rotated. The arbor O is also constantly rotated from the train of gearing by any suitable gear, a partof which is reprethe en d of the coil-spring C'L rubs around withy in the annular flange G3, and when the Wheel C2 is allowed to turn the friction of the coilspring against the annular flange C3 is sufficient to rotate such Wheel C2 and the parts connected with it, and should there be any difference in the movement of the arbor O- and the wheel C2 the coil-spring C4, which is like the hair-spring of a watch, allows for this difference ofv movement. The wheel C2 gears into a pinion H', with which is connected a wheel H, gearing into a pinion I adjacent to the Wheel I upon the arbor I2, and this arbor passes through the plates of the watch and is supported by the lever K, and upon the arbor I2 is a fine-toothed pinion N, gearing into the wheel M, the arbor etof which passes through the watch-plates and is provided with a hand E3, which is adapted to indicate seconds. This lever' K is pivoted at 5, and its short arm carries one end of the axis of the pinion N. Its long arm engages the cam-wheel 7, and a stud on its shortest arm engages the spring 8, and there is a push-pin and pawl acting upon the ratchet-wheel 6 of the cam-wheel 7, against the periphery of which ca1n\vl1eel the end of lever K rests when the pinion N is in contact with the wheel M; but when the push-pin is operated to bring one of the notches of the cam-wheel contiguous to the end of the lever K, the spring 8, operating the lever K, releases the pinion N from the Wheel M. Hence this wheel M, the hand E3, and the minute-hand 10 can all be brought back by the lever of ordinary construction acting upon the heart-cam 12 to restore the parts to their normal position.

Upon reference to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the train of gearing 18 14 15 16 connects the second-hand arbor with the arbor of the minute-hand 10, and by placing the IOO heart-cam l2 on the arbor of the minute-hand this will be returned to the normal position, and in so doing the second-hand E3 may be revolved several times, but will be returned to its normal position.

The independent quarter-second hand D2is, upon a short arbor 18, supported by a lever L, and there is a pinion D', driven by the Wheel I, the pinion I of which receives motion fromv the Wheel H, that is driven by the wheel C2, as before mentioned, and upon the arbor 18 are the wings or arms D, and there are four of these, and the proportion of the wheels and pinions is such that this arbor 18 is adapted to rotate once in a second, and by reference to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the escapement-wheel E is to be provided with fteen teeth and the ratchet-wheel E2 with thirty teeth. Hence with a balance vibrating twice a second four teeth of the ratchet-wheel E2 will pass each second, and when the end of the lever L is not acted upon by the camwheel 22 the spring L2 will move the lever L and bring the wings D sufficiently near to the ratchet-teeth E to cause the end of each wing in succession to pause against a tooth of the ratchet-wheel and to be liberated as such tooth passes from contact with the end of the wing, so that the arbor 18 and hand D2 will indicate one-quarter second. Upon the first push of the push-pin the ratchet-wheels 6 and the cams 7 and 22, which are all on the same axis, will be turned. The cam 7 will act upon the lever K and bring the pinion Ninto contact with the wheel M, and the hands E3 and 10 will instantly commence to revolve, and at this same moment the cam-wheel 22, passing from beneath the end of the lever L, allows the wings D to come into contact with the ratchet-wheel E2 and the quarter-second hand D2 be revolved. The second push'of the push-pin will bring into action a brakelever 24 against the side of the wheel M or any other suitable wheel in the train to stop all of the hands instantly, as usual in stop mechanism, and it will be apparent that in consequence of the wheel M and pinion N remaining in gear, and the/wheel I and pinion D being in gear, neithei hand can move; but the wheel C of the tinie-train can continue to revolve because the end of the spring C4 will slide within the annular rib C3. When the third push of the push-pin is given, the lever K is released and the springS separates the pinion N from the wheel M, and simultaneously the ordinary lever is brought against the heart-cam 12, and the hands E3 and 10 are returned to their normal position, and the cam 22 acts upon the lever L, swinging` the win gs D away from the ratchet-wheel E2, and in consequence of the pinion N and wheel M being separated, the spring G4 can turn the wheels H I and pinions I and D sufiicient to swing the wings D and the hand D2 around to the naught (0) or zero point, there being an upward projection on one of the wings D, which comes into contact with an overhanging stationary stud or projection 20, to arrest the movement of the hand at the naught (O) or zero point, and it will be observed that the Iirst push of the push-pin turning the ratchet-wheel 6 the cam-wheels 7 and 22 allows the leverL to be moved by the spring L2 sufficiently to separate the wing from the stop 20, and allow the frictional mechanism to revolve the train of gearing.

It will be apparent that the stop 20 may be Y upon a stationary portion of the watch or it may be formed by the end of the lever receiving its motion from the cam-wheel 22, and that the lever which acts in connection with the heart-cam 12 and with the break or stop 24 may be of any desired character, as these are well known in stop-watches.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, in a stop-watch, with the split-second train-operating mechanism and the pinion I, its axis, and the pinion N, operated by the split-seconds mechanism, of the wheel M, its arbor 4, and the second-hand E3 upon said arbor, and a lever K, receiving the axis of the pinions I and N adjacent to said pinion N, and a cam for moving said lever K to engage or disengage the pinion N with the wheel M, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination, in a stop-watch, with the split-second train-operating mechanism and the pinion I', its axis, and the pinion N, of the cam-wheel 7, the wheel M, its arbor 4, and the second-hand E3 upon said arbor, the lever K, pivoted at 5, its short arm carrying one end of the axis of the pinion N, its long arm engaging the cam-wheel 7, a stud upon the said lever, the spring 8 to move the lever K and disengage the wheels M N, and the brake-lever 24, substantially as specified.

3. The combination, in a stop-watch, with the minute-hand 10 and its train of gear, of the second-hand E2, its arbor 4, the pinion 13, engaging the minute-hand train, the wheel M, the pinion N, the lever K, receiving one end of the axis, of the pinion N, and a cam for moving said lever, and a train of gearing for driving the second and minute hands in unison, and a brake acting on the Wheel M for stopping said hands, and a heart-cam for returning said hands together to the zeropoint, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence ot two subscribing witnesses.

AMI LECOULTREPIGUET.

Witnesses:

ELMER SCHNEIDER, LYELI, T. ADAMS,

IOO

IIO 

